Led to Slaughter
"Led to Slaughter" is the fifteenth episode of the ninth season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and thirtieth episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 24, 2019. Plot Carol and Aaron follow Negan's trail toward the Whisperers' border. Michonne returns to Alexandria to find Rick recovering from his wounds. Synopsis Nora rushes to the gate where Siddiq and Anne are on patrol. They both ask her what she is doing at the gate; however, she avoids the question, and tells them to wait for Rick to arrive. As they attempt to further question her, Rick and Carol walk up to the gate and come to the conclusion that Negan most likely escaped with Maggie's group headed to the Hilltop. Alden leads a group back to the Hilltop as Maggie and Enid talk. Meanwhile, hidden under a cloak and walking alongside them, Cyndie watches them, then ducks into the bushes. Cyndie sneaks away from the Hilltop group traveling on the road, and gives Negan his old clothes. They then start to argue about Cyndie’s plan, so Negan pushes Cyndie, telling her to take him in the right direction, then they both walk off. Carol and Aaron talk with Rick about going after Negan. Aaron tells Rick if Negan was smart, he would just leave and never come back. But, Rick tells him that Negan will probably try to hurt him, the Alexandrians, and destroy everything they have. Carol and Aaron then leave to try and find Negan after coming to the conclusion that he was headed to the Whisperers' territory. Eugene is talking to the radio survivor about his trip from Texas. The survivor claims that he is narrowing down Eugene's location, to which Eugene responds that he hasn't given too much away. Their conversation is cut short when Eugene hears a gunshot and runs outside to investigate. Marco gets shot in the leg. Jesus grabs the man wielding the firearm, while Eugene grabs the gun from the man. The man claims that he thought Marco was an infiltrated Whisperer, as he had never seen him before, but Jesus explains that he is just from the Hilltop. Eugene and Jesus take Marco to the infirmary, leaving the shooter seemingly stunned about what he just did. Daryl leads a team out in the open. Gabriel almost gets bit, but Daryl saves his life, then they all proceed to kill the roamers that attacked them. Laura asks why Daryl has Lucille. He states that she represents a lot to him, including oppression, misery, and authority, and he wants to change what she represents to positive aspects. In addition, he believes no one at the Sanctuary should take her and start waving her around as if she was a prize. Meanwhile, Magna's group get into an argument about whether or not they should stay in Alexandria. Magna and Yumiko state they stand with the community. Magna reminds Connie and Kelly that they are doing this for Luke and for them. Then, both Magna and Yumiko walk off. Rick asks Paul, the man who shot Marco, about what had happened. Paul tells Rick he was scared and that he thought Marco had snuck in like Alpha had, and that he was just trying to prevent more deaths. A shocked Rick then walks away, while Paul gets worried about what will be done with him. Carol and Aaron continue their search for Negan and confirm that he is headed for the Whisperers' border. Meanwhile, Negan and Cyndie both arrive at the border. The latter starts thinking about her friend, Rachel, whose head was one of the ones on the pikes that made up the border. Cyndie begins to sob, prompting Negan to tell her to stop being such a coward. He then feigns empathy for Cyndie and gives her a hug. Cyndie then admits that he just wanted Rick and Alpha to kill each other, to which Negan tells her, "that's the plan." "Or rather," Negan goes on to state, as he kills Cyndie, via a fatal stab wound to the chest. Negan then finishes, "… that was your plan," as he walks alone into the Whisperers' border. As Michonne patrols outside the Hilltop, she runs into Maggie, who has gone ahead of her convoy to get a break from Hershel. Maggie tells Michonne it is now safe for Henry and Lydia to return to Alexandria, but Michonne notes that Henry will likely want to stay at the Hilltop. As Aaron and Carol approach the Whisperers' border, they find Cyndie’s body. Aaron volunteers to keep her from turning and bury her, but Carol insists they retrieve Negan first, and bury Cyndie afterwards. As it begins to grow dark, Negan grows annoyed as Cyndie did not retrieve a sleeping bag for him. Noticing movement, he draws his knife and orders anyone following him to come out, prompting the Whisperers following him to reveal themselves. Negan is impressed by their suits, but also notes how hard it must be for them to tell each other apart from normal walkers. When questioned, Negan claims he is simply passing through their territory, but is interrupted by the arrival of a large Whisperer calling himself "Beta". After a short confrontation between the two men, Beta orders the rest of the Whisperers to bring Negan to Alpha. Back in Alexandria, Eugene informs the radio survivor of the Whisperers, and recent developments since their attack. The survivor is surprised to learn that Eugene's group allows its members to freely carry guns, and Eugene explains that the group's usual restrictions on guns have been taken away in order to train soldiers to combat the Whisperers. The survivor notes how hard it is to live in the open, and that her group tries not to pass judgement on others for what they have done to survive. However, upon learning that Eugene's wife was one of the victims, she apologizes and tries to appease Eugene by revealing her name to him: Stephanie. While Henry is working, he is informed by Earl, who had just arrived from Alexandria, that it is now safe for Lydia to return to Alexandria. As he is going to inform Lydia, Henry is stopped by Maggie, who tells him that Carol wants him to return home, but Henry tells her that he intends to stay at the Hilltop. As Michonne arrives back in Alexandria, she is happy to greet Siddiq, but her mood is soured at the sight of the numerous "SILENCE THE WHISPERS" signs set up around Alexandria. Michonne angrily goes to Rick to find out what has happened, and is horrified to see that he has suffered severe injuries in her absence. When she tries to ask what happened to him, Rick tells her that he has become a "better leader". As they advance deeper into Whisperer territory, Carol tries to suggest that Aaron pursue a relationship with Jesus, but Aaron insists that he isn't interested. As they talk, they hear people approaching, and prepare to defend themselves. As Beta and a group of Whisperers approach, Carol orders them to stop their attack, and explains that she and Aaron simply want to retrieve Negan and leave. Beta reminds them of Alpha's order and attacks Aaron, stabbing him in the stomach. As he arrives at the Whisperers' camp, Negan jovially talks about the type of skin suit he would like after joining them as he is taken to Alpha. Alpha demands to know who he is, and Negan introduces himself, before declaring that he is in love. Other Cast Co-Stars To be added. Uncredited To be added. Deaths * Cyndie (Alive) Trivia * First appearance of Beta. * Last appearance of Cyndie. (Alive) * This episode was adapted from Issue 153 and Issue 154 of Image Comics' The Walking Dead. Category:Episodes Category:TV Series Category:TV Episodes Category:Season 9 (TV Series)